US2297071A

US2297071A - Steam heating apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2297071A
Application number: US221961A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rudolph B Prentice
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1938-07-29
Filing date: 1938-07-29
Publication date: 1942-09-29
Anticipated expiration: 1959-09-29

Description

p 1942- R. B. PRENTICE STEAM HEATING APPARATUS Filed July 29, 1938 Inventor.-

Patented Sept. 29, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STEAM HEATING APPARATUS Rudolph B. Prentice, Portland, Oreg.

Application July 29, 1938, Serial N0. 221,961 25 Claims. (01. 237-47) My invention relates to improvements in steam heating apparatus requiring elevation of the condensate for return to the source.

The principal object of my invention is the provision of means devoid of valves and other mechanical moving parts to return the condensate to the boiler with greater force than normally accrues by gravity drainage.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent in the following discourse wherein the construction, manner of operation, and particular advantages thereof, are explained.

Figure 1 is a diagram representing the essential elements of my invention.

Figure 2 is a diagram representing a variant manner of piping the device.

Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a second variation in specific form of the device.

Figure 4 is a diagram illustrative of the man ner of attaching the device embodying my invention to an ordinary system to be used in combination therewith.

In Figure l the numeral 1 indicates a boiler from which steam is conducted through the steam pipe 2 to a connection 3 with the U-tube 4 receiving condensate from the radiator 5. A riser 6 connects the U-tube 4 above the connection 3 with a boiler feed loop 1 and at 9 is joined with a steam main 8 which conducts steam to the radiator from which the air may be expelled through an ordinary air-valve III.

The steam pressure from the boiler I transmitted through the steam pipe 2 to the U-tube 4 sustains a water column [2 at approximately the same height as the column II in the boiler feed loop 1 adjacent the boiler. The steam entering the loop 4 at the point 3 separates from the contained column a slug l3 of some weight less than that of the columns H and 12 which is delivered over into the column II to flow back into the boiler by force of gravity. The steam following the slug I3 will pass through the connection 9 and thence to the radiator 5.

The condensate from the radiator 5 increases the height of the column 12 and water is forced into the stream of flowing steam at the confluence thereof at 3 and forcibly delivered tothe elevated position of the column 1. Thus at regular intervals the condensate is raised in the form of slugs as l3 of varying quantity so that the water level'in the boiler is maintained at substantially the same level whether the radiation be situated below the boiler water level or not.

The relative vertical dimensions of the loops 4 and I are of especial importance. The boiler feed loop I is longer than the loop 4 to provide against drainage of the loop 1 when the steam in the system condenses and forms a vacuum in the riser 6. As this system is proportioned, this 'void is filled by air or other gases which will be drawn through the loop 4 and distributed to the boiler,

I, pipe 2, and pipe 6, in one manner of operation as when a valve (not shown), which may be interposed in the pipe 8 before the radiator 5 as conventionally practiced, maybe closed.

If the system has no valves other than the thermostatic valve at 10 as shown in Figure 1, the vacuum in the boiler is satisfied as follows: Air enters the system through the vent I0, passes through the radiator 5, thence through the pipe 8, through the riser 6, the steam feed pipe 2,- and finally into the boiler I, carrying with it such water in the loop 4 which stands above the juncture of the pipes 2 and 6. In accordance with engineering practice this water would be fed into the bottom of the boiler through the conventional boiler equalizer as 26 in Fig. 4.

The provision of an upper chamber l8 shown in Figure 3 takes care of this initial volume of water until the system clears itself by transmission to this chamber I8 of a substantial portion of the boiler pressure through the riser l'l in Figure 3 to allow of drainage back into the boiler by force of gravity through the boiler-feed loop.

E rperimentshave revealed that the precise form of the connection 3 does not make any substantial difference to the manner of operation. For example, Figure 3 illustrates a variant form of the device differing from the typical form shown in Figure 1 in the form of the chamber employed to entrain the water at the lower end of the riser 6 and in the form of theupper chamber employed to separate the steam and water.

I the form of the apparatus shown in Figure 3, a sealed receiver 15 is supplied with the initial steam from the pipe 16 comparable to the pipe 2 of Figure 1, the riser l1 extends within this chamber I5 and to a level above the bottom of the chamber I8, the boiler feed loop I9 is taken from the bottom of the chamber I8 and the steam main 20 from the top thereof. A water column 2|, comparable to the column l2 in Figure 1, forces the water into entrainment with the steam entering the riser I! at the lower end thereof just above the water level 22 within the chamber I5.

In Figure 2 a system is shown which differs from that in Figure 1 only by the interconnection of the steam main 8 with the leg 23 of the U- tube 4 in Figure 1 to produce the equalizer 24

radiators

32 and 33, contemplates the substitution for the boiler shown in Figure 2 of the drip 30 which latter stands in its place and stead and the

radiators

32 and 33 are served by the device precisely the same as if the boiler were located at the place of the drip 30. V r

In this latter use the device has great value in building up the head of the return whether the radiation be situated below the boiler water level or whether a sluggish return is the result of any other condition as for example an unusually long and flat run.

It will be apparent that many applications of steam heat without accessory mechanical pumping equipment are made possible and great economies of fuel promised inthe full utilization of the device.

Although the apparatus shown and described is designed for application to steam heating systems, it will be apparent that many other uses are practical wherein two fluids of diiTering densities or gravities are desirably associated in this general arrangement, whether one of the fluids is a liquid and the other a gas, or whether both fluids are either gaseous or liquid. As a means of transferring heat from a higher to a lower level the system and method has application to the practice of refrigeration where volatile and other mobile liquids and fluids with critical temperatures below that of water are employed. As a one leg of each of which communicates with said source of steam and said steam using means respectively, a riser pipe connecting the remaining legs of said U-tubes, a steam tube connecting said source with the lower end of said riser pipe, and a steam tube connected at opposite ends with the upper end of said riser pipe and with said steam using means respectively.

4. A steam heating system comprising, a source of steam, steam using means, two U-tubes one leg of each of which communicates with said source of steam above the water-line therein and said steam using means respectively, a riser pipe connecting the remaining legs of said U-tubes, a steam tube connecting said source with the lower end of said riser pipe, and a steam tube connected at. opposite ends with the upper end of said riser pipe and with said steam using means respectively.

5. A steam heating system comprising, a source of steam and a steam using means, two U-tubes situated at difierent levels one leg of the lower one of which communicates with said steam using means and one leg of the higher one of which s end to said radiators to receive the condensate lower portion thereof to the remaining end of means of pumping fluids of highly corrosive or a poisonous properties it affords a sealed apparatus devoid of working parts.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. Apparatus for injecting liquids into a source of gas under pressure comprising, means containing a liquid column, means to maintain a body of liquid in open communication with the bottom of said liquid column and with said source, means containing a second liquid column open at the top to theatmosphere to receive liquid for injection, means to contain a second body of liquid in open communication with the bottom of said second liquid column, a duct to conduct gas from said source to said means containing the said second body of liquid, a second duct in open communication at the bottom withthe surface of said second body of liquid and at the top with the upper part of said first liquid column, and means to allow gas to escape from the upper part of said second duct.

2. Steam apparatus comprising, a boiler, a steam using means, a depending pipe loop connected to the steam using means for receivingcondensate' therefrom, a riser pipe connected to the remainingend of said loop, a depending boiler feed pipe loop connected between said boiler and said riser pipe, a steam pipe conducting steam from said boiler to the leg of said condensate loop communicating withsaid riser pipe, and a steam main. conducting steamfrom said riser pipe to said steam-using means. k

3. A condensate return system comprising; a source of steam, steam using means, two U-tubes said condensate U-trap, a steam pipe to conduct steam from said boiler tosaid condensate U-trap at-the lower portion of said riser, and a steam pipe to conduct steam from the upper portion of saidriser pipe to said radiators.

'7. A steam heating system comprising, a steam boiler, radiators, a U-tube connected at one end to saidboiler, afsecond u-tube connected at one end to receive the condensate from said radiators, a riser connecting the remaining ends of said U- tubes, a steam pipe connected to said boiler and to said second U-tube below the lower end of said riser at a place below the level of the accumulated condensate in the opposite leg thereof, and a steam pipe connecting the upper portion of said riser to. said radiators. V 8. A steam heating. system comprising, a source of steam,,radiation means, chamber means situated above the water line. of said source of steam, a U-.tube situated below said radiation means and. 'saidsource of'steam connected at the upper end of one legto said radiation means, a steam pipe connecting said source of steam with said U-tube, medially of the extremities of the remaining leg thereof, ariser pipe connecting the said last-mentioned'leg of said U-tube to the said chamber. means, a boiler feedpipe connecting said chamber means to said source of steam, and a steam main to. conduct steam. from said chamber means. td said.radiation means.

9. A condensatereturn system comprising, a source of steam, steam using means, two U-tubes one leg of each. of--which communicatesw-ith said sourceofsteam and: said steam using means respectively, a riser pipe connecting the remaining legs of said U-tubes, a steam tube connecting said gmzovr source with the lower end of said riser pipe, and a steam tube connected at opposite ends with the upper end of said riser pipe and with said steam using means respectively, wherein the said U-tube communicating with the source of steam is longer than the other said U-tube communicating with the steam using means.

10. A steam heating system comprising, a steam boiler, steam chamber means, a steam pipe connecting said boiler and said steam chamber means, separator means situated above the water line of said boiler, connecting means providing a duct communicating with said separator means and said boiler, a riser pipe connecting said steam chamber means with said separator means, steam using means draining into said steam chamber means through water column means, and a steam pipe connecting said separator means with said steam using means.

11. A steam heating system comprising, a steam I boiler, steam chamber means, a steam pipe connecting said boiler and said steam chamber means, separator means situated above the water line of said boiler, connecting means providing a duct communicating with said separator means and said boiler, a riser pipe connecting said steam chamber means with said separator means, steam using means constituting the sole heat load of the system draining into said steam chamber means through a water column, and a steam pipe connecting said separator means with said steam using means.

12. A steam heating system comprising, a steam boiler, steam chamber means, a steam pipe connecting said boiler and said steam chamber means, separator means situated above the water line of said boiler, connecting means providing a duct communicating with said separator means and said boiler, a riser pipe connecting said steam chamber means with said separator means, steam using means draining into said steam chamber means through water column means, and a steam pipe connecting said separator means with said steam using means, wherein said duct communicating with said separator means and said boiler is adapted to accommodate a water column of greater height than that water column contained in said water column means.

13. A steam heating system comprising, a boiler, a chamber means elevated above said boiler and connected thereto by means of a pipe containing a water column, radiator means, a chamber means receiving the condensate from said radiator means through a pipe containing a water column, a steam pipe connecting said last named chamber means and said boiler, a riser pipe extending from the said second chamber means to the first said chamber means, and a pipe to conduct steam from said first chamber means to said radiator means.

14. A steam heating system comprising, a boil er, chamber means elevated above said boiler and connected thereto by means of a pipe containing a water column, radiator means, chamber means receiving the condensate from said radiator means through a pipe containing a water column, a steam pipe connecting said last named chamber means and said boiler, a riser pipe extending from the said last named chamber means to the first said chamber means at a level above the water column contained in said first mentioned pipe, and a pipe to conduct steam from said first chamber means to said radiator means.

15. A steam heating system comprising, a steam boiler at a higher level, a steam radiator at a' lower level, a lower chamber meansinto' which the condensate from said radiator may normally drain by force of gravity, an upper chamber means situated above the water line in said boiler, a pipe connecting said upper chamber means to said boiler, a steam pipe connecting said boiler to said lower chamber means, a riser connecting said lower chamber to said upper chamber means, a steam pipe connecting said upper chamber means to said radiator, and a return pipe to conduct condensate from said radiator to said lower chamber means.

16. A steam heating system comprising, a boiler, chamber means situated above the water line of said boiler and connected thereto by water column means, radiation means, chamber means receiving the condensate from said radiation means through water column means, a steam pipe connecting the upper portion of said last named chamber means with the steam space of said boiler, a riser pipe extending from a level within said second chamber means to the upper portion of said first chamber means, and a pipe to conduct steam from said first named chamber means to said radiation means.

1'? A steam heating system comprising, a steam boiler at a higher level, a steam radiator at a lower level, a lower chamber means into which the condensate from said radiator may normally drain by force of gravity, an upper chamber means situated above the water-line in said boiler, a boiler-feed pipe connecting said upper chamber means to said boiler, means associated with said boiler-feed pipe to provent back-flow therethrough, a steam pipe connecting said boiler to said lower chamber means, a riser connecting said lower chamber means to said upper chamber, a steam pipe connecting said upper'chamber means to said radiator, and a return pipe to conduct condensate from said radiator to said lower chamber means.

18. A steam heating system comprising, a steam boiler at a higher level, a steam radiator at a lower level, a lower chamber means into which the condensate from said radiator may normally drain by force of gravity, an upper chamber means situated above the water line in said boiler, a pipe connecting said upper chamber means to said boiler at a point above the water line therein, a steam pipe connecting said boiler to said lower chamber means, a riser connecting said lower chamber means to said upper chamber means, a steam pipe connecting said upper chamber means to said radiator, and a return pipe to conduct condensate from said radiator to said lower chamber means.

19. A steam heating system comprising, a steam boiler at a higher level, a steam radiator at a lower level, a lower chamber means into which the condensate may normally drain by force of gravity, an upper chamber means situated above the water-line in said boiler, a boiler-feed pipe connecting said upper chamber means to said boiler at a point above the water-line therein, means associated with said boiler-feed pipe to prevent backflow therethrough, a steam pipe connecting said boiler to said lower chamber means, a riser connecting said lower chamber means to said upper chamber means, a steam pipe connecting said upper chamber means to said radiator, and a return pipe to conduct condensate from said radiator to said lower chamber means.

20. In steam heating systems, a pipe containing a column of water and communicating at the lower end of the column with a source of steam,

theisteam pressure opposing the lower end of said. column, a pipe containing a second column of water and communicating at the upper end of said second column with radiator means, a riser pipe communicating with said first mentioned pipe at the upper. end of saidfirst column and with said second mentioned pipe at the lower end of said second column, asteam pipe communicating with said source and the lower end of said riser pipe,..so that the lower end of the second column. opposes the pressure of said source, and a pipe to conduct steam from the upper end of, said riser pipe to said radiator means. r r

21. The method of elevating a relatively heavy fluid consisting in, the provision of a pair of chamber means containing respectively two bodies of said fluid at different elevations, imposing upon the respective surfaces of the said two bodies of fluid a. lighter fluid. flowing under pressure from a common source, displacing the said heavy fluid .upwardly through fluid column means from the higher said body of fluid .and through a pair of fluid column means in open communication at the bottoms thereof with the said lower body of heavy fluid but at different elevations therein, maintaining the flow of, said lighter fluid under pressure, and supplying quantitles of said heavy fluid through the top of that one of said pair of column means which is in open communication with said lower body of heavy fluid at the lower elevation, to effect the alternate presentation of the two said fluids at the .bottom of that one of said pair of column means which is in open communication with said lower body of heavy fluid at the higher elevation and the consequent transit therethrough of alternate quantities of the said fluids, the heavier thereof being accumulated and united with the fluid column in said column means in communication with said higher body of heavy fluid, and the lighter said fluid being allowed to escape.

22. The method of elevating condensate consisting in the entrainment thereof in an upwardly directed current of steam the trapping out of said vcondensate and the subsequent conduction of said current of steam into the steam using devices from which said condensate is drained.

23. The method of returning condensate to the boiler consisting in injecting steam from the source into a chamber receiving condensate, directing the steam and condensate entrained thereby to such a level above the boiler water line as will permit the condensate to flow back into the boiler and the steam to flow into the steam using devices.

24. The method of raising the head of return condensate in a system comprising a source of steam and condensation means, which consists of accumulating the system condensate at a low level by gravity flow thereto, accumulating a water supply for the source at a higher level, directing a flow of steam from the source through a portion of the accumulated condensate to thereby elevate small detached portions of the condensate upwardly above the accumulated water supply, and then directing the elevated condensate to the water supply and the accompanying steam to the condensation means.

7 25. In apparatus comprising in combination, a source of steam, separator means above said source of steam and draining thereinto, steam chamber means below said separator means communicating therewith and with said source of steam, and a radiator lement receiving steam from said separator means and draining into said steam chamber means, the method of use thereof contemplating the maintenance of a supply of steam in said source and the conduction thereof through the said system wherein the resulting condensate is entrained in the current of steam flowing from said steam chamber means to said separator means.

RUDOLPH B. PRENTICE.